Educational sewing doll

ABSTRACT

A doll for assembly by a child-student for teaching sewing techniques, developing creativity, and providing a play toy after assembly. The doll includes arms and legs, which are easily sewn to rigid fastening elements connected to the main body of the doll, and a face portion and hair, which are sewn to the head portion by the child-student.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,800,436

Matzek 1 1 Apr. 2, 1974 1 EDUCATIONAL SEWING DOLL 3,041,778 7 1962 Scron 1 46/22 [76] Inventor: Johanna Matzek, 9707 Benham 3,500,578 3/1970 Albert 46/157 X Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44105 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 10,533 0/1915 Great Britain 46/159 [22] 1973 607,464 8/1948 Great Britain 46 158 [21] Appl. No.: 339,406

- Primary ExaminerHarland S. Skogquist U S Cl R 35/15 46/22 Attorney, Agent, or FirmD0nnelly, Maky, Renner &

. Otto 46/173 [51] Int. Cl. G09b 19/20 [58] Field of Search 35/8 R, 15; 40/67, 128; [57] ABSTRAFT 46/22, 158, 159, 160, 161, 173, 157; 224/2 A doll for assembly by a child-student for teaching 13; 24 3 403/164 sewing techniques, developing creativity, and providing a play toy after assembly. The doll includes arms [56] References Cited and legs, which are easily sewn to rigid fastening ele- UNITED STATES PATENTS ments connected to the main body of the doll, and a 654 514 7/1900 C 0/128 UX face portion and hair, which are sewn t0 the head porarralne 6 1,308,816 7/1919 Smith 46 173 mm by the child Student 1,916,81 l 7/1933 Schwartz 46/158 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 EDUCATIONAL SEWING DOLL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an educational sewing toy and more specifically to such a toy for assembly in configuration as a doll.

Many of the current techniques for teaching sewing, particularly to young children, are relatively complicated and tend to bore the student. Thus, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an educational sewing toy for teaching sewing techniques while retaining the interest of the student.

Another object of this invention is to provide an educational sewing toy that involves creativity in assembly and results in an interesting toy thereafter.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a safe educational device for teaching sewing techniques.

These and other objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds below.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principals of the invention may be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the educational sewing toy in assembled configuration as a doll;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the educational sewing toy illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side view, partially in section, of the head and face portions of the educational sewing toy doll.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in the several figures, a doll is generally indicated at l in FIGS. 1 and 2. The doll includes a main body portion 2, head portion 3, a pair of arm portions 4, 5 and a pair of leg portions 6, 7. A face portion 8 designed to represent the face of a person is positioned over the front area of the head portion 3, and a plurality of curls 9 of yarn or similar material are sewn to the head and face portions to represent hair on the head of the doll.

Each of the main body, head, arm, and leg portions are preferably formed of fabric material filled or stuffed with cotton or Dacron filler or the like. The filler preferably is white to avoid showing through the fabric material and may be soft and/or resilient cooperating with the latter to retain the natural shape of the doll; and. if desired, the fabric material and filler may be color-fast and washable. The fabric material is sewn together, for example, at the seams l0, l1, 12 in the main body and head portions as well as at seams in the respective arm and leg portions.

A plurality of generally rigid connecting elements 13 formed, for example, of cardboard, pressed fiber board, or similar material, having respective openings or eyelets 14, which may be re-enforced with grommets 15, are provided for fastening the arm and leg portions to the main body portion. Fastening members 16, such as, for example, cotter pins, connect the rigid connecting elements 13 to the main body portion 2 of the doll 1 to permit rotation of the former about the axis of the fastening members as indicated, for example, by the arrows 17. Each of the arm and leg portions has a plurality of openings or eyelets 18 defined therethrough with re-enforcing grommets 19 positioned therein. The openings 18 are generally for the purpose'of alignment with corresponding openings 14 in the rigid connecting elements 13. Thus, after positioning, for example, the leg portion 6 proximate the appropriate rigid connecting element 13 with corresponding openings 14 and 18 in alignment, the passing of a thread 20 through such openings effects coupling of the leg portion to the rigid connecting element 13 and the main body portion 2 of the doll.

Referring now more specifically to FIG. 3, the head portion 3 may consist of the same fabric and filler material as the main body portion 2, being fastened together at the seams 10, 11, 21, with a neck section 22 coupling the head portion to the main body portion. The face portion 8 is fastened to the lower front area of the head portion 3, for example, by gluing the same thereto, avoiding the need for a child-student to locate the face on the head, which may be especially difficult for a small child. If desired, however, the face portion 8 may be entirely separate from the head portion. The face portion is preferably formed of pressed plastic or fabric material or the like, defining a relatively rigid molded face having several holes 23 in the top for facilitating sewing to the head portion. At least one additional hole 24, shown in FIG. 2 is provided in the face portion 8 for sewing a yarn curl of hair at the forehead of the face.

In assembling the doll the respective arm 4, 5 and leg 6, 7 portions are aligned with their respective openings 18 in alignment with the corresponding openings 14 in the rigid connecting elements 13, and a needle and thread may be passed through such aligned openings to fasten the limbs to the main body portion 2. The arms and legs are then rotatable about the axis of the respective cotter pins 16.

Assuming the face portion 8 is already glued to the head portion 3, at the lower or chin part thereof, then the face portion is pressed against the head portion at the top area proximate the forehead and the student would sew the face portion to the head portion through the holes 23 in the former. If the face portion is separate, of course, the entire face portion may be sewn to the head portion through additional holes in the bottom of the former, or the child-student can glue or otherwise attach the face to the head. The plurality of curls 9 of yarn may then be sewn to the face portion 8, for example through the hole 24, and, if desired, through the holes 23, and through at least some of the fabric and filler material therein over the top and back of the head to provide a full head of hair for the doll which is now ready for play.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll, comprising a main body portion, a head portion, a plurality of arm and leg portions, and means for coupling said arm and leg portions to said main body portion, each of said coupling means being rotatably connected to said main body portion and comprising a substantially rigid member having a plurality of openings therein for alignment with a corresponding plurality of openings formed in said respective arm and leg portions, whereby said arm and leg portions may be attached to said main body portion by sewing through said respective corresponding aligned openings.

2. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said body portion, head portion, and plurality of arm and leg portions comprises fabric material having resilient filler material therein.

3. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a face portion for attachment on said head portion, said face portion having a plurality of openings formed therein through which said face portion may be sewn to said head portion.

4. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 3 wherein said face portion includes a part attached to said head portion.

5. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a plurality of means for simulating hair. said last mentioned means being adapted for attachment to said head portion by sewing thereto.

6. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 3, wherein said face portion is glued to said head portion.

7. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 3, wherein said face portion comprises rigid material formed in the design of a human face.

8. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 7, wherein said face portion includes at least one opening through which means for simulating hair may be sewn to said head portion. 

1. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll, comprising a main body portion, a head portion, a plurality of arm and leg portions, and means for coupling said arm and leg portions to said main body portion, each of said coupling means being rotatably connected to said main body portion and comprising a substantially rigid member having a plurality of openings therein for alignment with a corresponding plurality of openings formed in said respective arm and leg portions, whereby said arm and leg portions may be attached to said main body portion by sewing through said respective corresponding aligned openings.
 2. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said body portion, head portion, and plurality of arm and leg portions comprises fabric material having resilient filler material therein.
 3. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a face portion for attachment on said head portion, said face portion having a plurality of openings formed therein through which said face portion may be sewn to said head portion.
 4. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 3 wherein said face portion includes a part attached to said head portion.
 5. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a plurality of means for simulating hair, said last mentioned means being adapted for attachment to said head portion by sewing thereto.
 6. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 3, wherein said face portion is glued to said head portion.
 7. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 3, wherein said face portion comprises rigid material formed in the design of a human face.
 8. An educational sewing toy for assembly in configuration as a doll as set forth in claim 7, wherein said face portion includes at least one opening through which means for simulating hair may be sewn to said head portion. 